Problems With Racing Gaming Chairs – Gaming Chair Worth It?

In this article, we will be briefly addressing the subject of gaming chairs. More specifically, we will take a look at what distinguishes them from regular office chairs and whether or not they are worth the money.

Design

Aggressive and attention-grabbing exterior design has been a staple of all sorts of gaming accessories, peripherals and miscellaneous equipment for years now, ever since gaming had entered mainstream spotlight and the world of eSports came to be.

Gaming chairs are no different. As can be seen with the King Gaming Chair on the right, this DXRacer-made gaming chair sports a flashy black-and-red color scheme that is very common among gaming products.

On the other hand, regular office chairs are often much more minimalistic in their design, mostly sticking to a black leather exterior that is sometimes combined with dark grey or white hues.

Comfort

The Gaming Chair

Racing gaming chairs are often modeled after actual car seats in order to provide the user with maximum immersion. The problem is, however, in that car seats are designed primarily to facilitate vehicle operation rather than provide comfort. Most notably, trademarks of car seat design are:

Bucket seat – Car seats have that characteristic depression in the middle, with raised sides. Why is that there? Simply to prevent the driver from sliding sideways when making turns. And even though it definitely does provide additional engrossment for racing game enthusiasts, it does not essentially contribute to the comfort.What’s more, the bucket seat can actually be detrimental in that regard, as it limits the user’s movement in the seat. When you’re having an hours-long gaming session, you’ll want to shift around and sit in a different pose from time to time, and a racing gaming chair with this seat design will make that neither easy nor comfortable.

Elevated front – Similar to the bucket seat, the elevated front part of the seat exists in car seats to make it easier for the driver to keep their feet on the pedals without tiring their legs out. Obviously, this is not a practical issue when you’re sitting at your computer desk, and it could also have a negative effect on long-term comfort.Unless you are tall with long legs, this design choice will likely leave your legs hanging uncomfortably off the edge of the seat unless you rest them on a part of your desk, an ottoman or any other piece of furniture that could serve the purpose

The Office Chair

On the contrary, even the cheapest office chairs sport a highly ergonomic design that will make for comfortable seating for hours on end. This is accomplished with maximum adjustability that will make almost any chair suitable for all body types and with a much more intuitive seat design.

Keep in mind though, office chairs cover a wide price range, unlike their gaming counterparts which are often pricier. As such, the more affordable office chairs will often lack all the memory foam cushioning and other high-quality components/features that are present in the more expensive ones.

Pricing

As we have already mentioned, gaming equipment is known for and instantly recognizable by its design. However, another thing that follows suit is a high price tag.

Whether we’re talking about gaming chairs, mechanical keyboards, laser mice or surround headsets, all of them will be relatively expensive – even the ones at the lower end of the price spectrum. The important question is: are those prices justified?

Naturally, if you want quality, you will have to pay a decent amount for it. However, a prevalent issue with “gaming” gear is that you’re not always paying for actual quality or practicality, but for what the product represents. Gaming has become a lifestyle, and those aggressive, LED-riddled borderline-gimmicky designs are all that you’re paying for in a lot of cases.

A simple office chair does not represent any sub-culture and it is always designed to fit its purpose. That said, when an office chair is more expensive, you can rest assured that the extra cost is due to very practical reasons: memory foam cushioning, extra adjustability or any number of other features.

Ultimately, office chairs are much more flexible in terms of pricing and are, in the majority of cases, a much wiser investment due to the fact that they strive to be practical and ergonomic above everything else.

Conclusion

So, is a gaming chair worth it? It all depends on your requirements and preferences. Two important things to keep in mind are:

An office chair is usually more comfortable overall

An office chair is usually cheaper and offers better value for your money

That’s not to say that gaming chairs are uncomfortable – far from it. They do, however, sport some counter-intuitive design decisions, and are arguably not worth their high price tags unless you are a passionate gamer and want a chair that suits your lifestyle.

In all other cases, an office chair is a smarter purchase due to the two reasons we have mentioned above. It will not leave you wanting when it comes to comfortable seating, especially if you invest some extra money in a premium quality chair.